From Gianluca Serra
Discussing the effect of war on wildlife, Fred Pearce doesn't mention other, more important factors that led to the extinction of the northern bald ibis (20 February, p 11). After eight years of study and field conservation on this bird, I can state that the extinction was caused by the gradual and inexorable degradation of its habitat. This was the result of long-term mismanagement of rangelands by the Syrian government and of uncontrolled hunting at breeding grounds and along the birds' migratory route.
A relict breeding colony was rediscovered in Syria in 2002, numbering three pairs (seven adult individuals). This offered a great chance to save this genetically unique population – which the bird conservation organisations involved missed.
At the onset of the war in Syria in 2011 the status of the colony was already desperate. Only one pair was left and it failed to breed due to colony disruption. Thus the war merely delivered the final blow to a vague, belated and unfunded plan to reinforce the wild “population” through a captive breeding programme. For more detail see my 2015 article at bit.ly/NSBaldIbis.
Florence, Italy
